Black Hole, Black Soul
by Intrepidwarriors
Summary: Ron and Shego sitting in a tree, one fell out and split their knee. No more Drakken! No more Kim! And that's no Sin! Cos, hey it's a RONGO fanfic Breaking my own rules. I plan to add to the story but don't be surprised if it doesn't happen. I'm drier than the Sahara for creative juices currently. oooh look! A cat!
1. Chapter 1

Black Hole, Black Soul

By Intrepid Warriors

Copyright for Kim Possible belongs to that weird little mouse and his affiliates

Her left lip quirked in amusement as she watched the blue-skinned man move hesitantly to the podium and peer at the cheering crowd. The large golden medallion gleamed brightly on his chest, a testament of appreciation from a grateful populace.

His uncertain gaze landed on her, and his eyes sought hers for the reassurance he needed. He was more comfortable trying to come up with plans to destroy the world, not save it. For once in his life, he desperately needed her 'lippy-ness', the casually hidden barbs of wit that would strip every flaw out of his world domination plans and expose them as sacrificial victims for the cosmos' mirth.

But it was the one time she couldn't do it. The one time her normally sharp tongue couldn't, no wouldn't, wield words to deflate his precious ego. The pride she felt for her employer, the insanely brilliant but inept villain known only as Drakken, wouldn't allow it. She returned his gaze with fondness...and something else. Something that was incessantly taking up residence in her heart.

Without warning, Shego felt a gentle but firm grip encircle her waist as something slithered around her body. She was pulled determinedly toward Drakken as the flower-sprouting vine whipped several times around their bodies in quick succession, and they were pulled abruptly into each other.

In the process, the vine inadvertently caused Drakken's head to crash lightly into her chest. Her breath left her body in a rush as time slowed down, the millisecond encounter leaving a tingling sensation across her nipples. Something deep inside greedily latched onto the sensation, shooting tendrils of warm electricity into her belly and groin. The reaction was unexpected, dangerous in its power as her dazed mind tried to make head or tail what had just transpired.

She pulled back, a look of shock on her face as she looked at Drakken from under her fringe, trying to gauge _his_ reaction to the intimacy of the encounter. Sensing her attempt to put distance between them, the vine tightened its grip and pulled, pushing her breasts firmly against Drakken's chest. The friction sent her body into overdrive and she had to stifle a moan at the contact. Being on twenty-four hour call for her high-maintenance employer didn't allow adequate 'downtime', and it had been sometime since she had felt the sensation of a male body pressed against her own.

Drakken's wide nervous smile greeted her. She could tell by the apprehension in his eyes that he expected her to ignite her plasma flame any second, and rain down terror on his poor head. It wouldn't have been the first time it happened, and it certainly wouldn't have been the last time. But behind the apprehension was a glimmer of happiness. She could tell he was enjoying the sensation of having her against him, even if it meant risking his life.

In all fairness, it wasn't his fault. It was the vine's actions that had lead them to this moment.

" _Or was it?_ " her mind mused, wondering fleetingly if the vines reacted to his mental commands as much as they did to his verbal commands.

Shego realised she wasn't going to get out of the embrace without causing damage to the vine with her plasma, which she wouldn't do. It was part of Drakken now, and a big part of the reason why they still had Earth to call home. She would have to wait for the vine to uncoil on its volition, which it wasn't in a hurry to do. So she did the only thing she could. She visibly relaxed against him, shyly returning Drakken's smile.

His face practically split in two with the sheer joy radiating out of him, and his eyes lit up as he realised his beautiful assistant wasn't going to blast him into smithereens, or worse. As her body loosened, he could feel parts of her pressed against parts of him, parts that were making his body zing and his mind go _pzzzttt_.

Drakken eventually managed to convince the vine to release them, but it took some working. Neither the vine, nor he himself were keen on letting Shego loose from their grip. It felt too good, too right having her so close, the black lines of lipstick outlining pouty lips he so desperately wanted to taste again. He had never forgotten the texture, the taste or the feel of them against his own during the modulator incident. And now he wanted more. Much, much more!

And she let him. Not at that moment. Not for several days afterwards. It took time for their minds and hearts to reconcile over the change in their relationship, to come to an agreement on how to proceed. And she made sure he worked for the privilege. He sent a written invitation for dinner on the first attempt, made his henchmen sing the second invitation, and sent an army of Clones and Bebes to beg on the third invitation. But she was having none of it. The invitation had to come from Drakken himself, in full.

The first attempt saw him hitting the floor as he passed out from sheer nervousness. The second attempt produced less head trauma, but he developed a bad case of the stutters and clicks that were completely incomprehensible to anyone but a tribesman from the Gods Must Be Crazy Series. The third attempt was actually intelligible, until he got to the point of asking her to dinner and he fled screaming with his hands over his head, hiding under a broken doomsday device for twelve hours, sucking his thumb in the foetal position. His fourth attempt resulted in him getting to the actual point without any stutters, clicks or screaming, but the nasty rash he had developed from the stress took over, and his spasmodic twitching meant flying him to Emergency in the hovercraft.

The fifth attempt was the final straw for Drakken. He couldn't take anymore of the strain so he took a stiff shot, or three, of straight whisky, marched into the living quarters where she sat filing the claws of her gloved hands and loomed uncertainly over her, a fearful but determined look on his face.

"She...she...go" he burbled, the Dutch courage only just making an appearance.

"Yes Dr D?" she drawled, holding the gloved hand up to the light for her inspection.

Throwing dignity and caution to the wind, he fell down on his knees in front of her and pushed his face closer to hers until they were nose to nose.

"Pleasegooutodinnertwithme!" he begged.

His pupils dilated and his breathing coming in small shallow puffs as he waited for her answer.

Her arms slid up the material of his lab coat and linked behind his head. She breathed in the smell of his fear and pheromones. Fascinated, the tigress in her licked its lips in anticipation at the scent, revealing in the helplessness of its prey.

"Absolutely" she purred, stroking the hair of his nape in slow, seductive circles.

Drakken's eyes started to glaze as the hypnotic whirls and alcohol took their toll.

"O..K...do you...um...do you want to go now?" he managed to stammer out as Shego pulled him gently toward her, her comet-enhanced strength ensuring there would be no more running, not this time .

"Not yet" she breathed against his mouth, inching her mouth towards his.

Drakken's lips parted and he breathed out. Energy coursed through his body, and yet he felt absolutely limp all at the same time.

Her lips met his and teased, before she finally took what she wanted.

His breathing became ragged, his palms began to sweat and his mind raced backwards through mathematical equations as he tried to distract himself from the heat that swamped his body.

Shego had been running on sexual tension overload since the awards ceremony and she was tired of waiting. They could deal with the main course later. For starters, she was having Drakken.

As they lay on the sofa in a confused pile of clothes and limbs, their bodies still thrumming, Shego smiled to herself.

 _He may be a scientist, but he certainly knows all the right buttons to press!_

Sighing in contentment, she ran her fingernails gingerly down his back.

"Got anything left in the tank Doc?" she whispered seductively in his ear.

Drakken didn't reply. He merely lifted his head enough to begin nuzzling her neck.

Grinning, she rolled him over and crawled on top of him.

"I'll take that as a yes!" she purred.

He reared up to meet her lips, his need for her drowning out any exhaustion he felt.

He was determined to please her, and he set to work with a will and focus resemblant of his obsession for his doomsday machines.

His lips left hers and his head lowered, his hands resting at the middle of her back as he urged her closer.

She gasped and her eyes closed. Her hands gripped his thick black hair and she arched against him.

"Oh you'll do, you'll do just nicely!" she whispered, the pleasure he was causing assaulting her entire body.

As the pleasure reached the point of no return, she felt her head drop back and a primal scream started to well up in her throat.

" **Drakken!"**

Shego bolted upright in bed, her chest pounding and her breathing coming hard and fast. The ecstasy from the dream still flooded her body, while memories surfaced and a deep ache of longing caused tears to spill from her eyes.

Her hand automatically reached for the warmth of his body next to hers, seeking the reassurance of his presence.

But it found only empty space. As it had each and every night for the past year.

Sobbing, she hit the side of her touch lamp and blinked furiously through the tears.

She could just make out her cell phone sitting on the bedside table and she grabbed it, clutching it to her as she hit number one on her fast dial.

The phone buzzed as it sought to connect, droplets of salty water hitting the screen face as she begged it silently to make contact.

A sleepy voice finally answered, sounding muffled as the owner sought to pull themselves from the pillow.

"Ron...I need you!" Shego whispered, before bursting into a wailing series of cries that tore at the heart of her listener.

Ron dashed from the bed, pulling on pants and shirt and whatever shoes he could find.

He ended up with one loafer and one sneaker and different matching socks but time was of the essence, not his choice of fashion.

"I'm coming Shego! I'm coming!" he called reassuringly down the phone to his friend, his protective nature kicking into overdrive as he grabbed his keys and helmet and dashed into the carpark of his apartment building.

Roaring the engine to life, he slammed the helmet onto his head and set off at breakneck speed on his 2017 Victory Octane in Shego's direction. His best friend needed him, and he wasn't going to disappoint.


	2. Chapter 2

Black Hole, Black Soul

Chapter 2

The normally thirty minute drive took Ron only ten, due partly to the emptiness of the roads at such an early hour, but mostly due to cranking the throttle as hard as he could safely get away with. The bike handled well, but it got a little tetchy above 100mph and he would find himself hanging on for dear life at the 130mp mark, something the seasoned hero had been doing ever since he started kicking it with his best-friend at pre-K.

He pulled the bike into a rubber burning stoppie that landed him right in front of the valet stand. Recognising his bike, the valets clapped in appreciation of the stunt.

One of the attractive young ladies stepped forward to catch the key he tossed in the air, expertly catching it.

"Smooth as always sir. Are you staying long?" she asked politely, as he yanked off his helmet and swung his leg over the bike.

"Not sure yet Elsie" he replied ruefully as he noticed her eyeing his shoe combination with mirth.

"I got a call from the Boss Lady" he added, anxious worry causing him to drag his fingers through his blonde locks, pushing the sweaty fringe out of his face toward the back of his scalp.

Elsie could see the concern radiated throughout his body and turned to a brunette standing behind her.

"Charlene, can you park Ron's bike? I'll take him through" Elise said as she handed the keys to her assistant and motioned Ron to follow.

Elsie's inbuilt tech allowed her to _feel_ the elevation of Ron's heartbeat as concern about his friend pushed it higher, hear beads of moisture peel off his forehead and drop into the lush carpet beneath their feet as she led him up the main staircase (complete with thirty carat gold hand rails), she refrained from asking any questions.

Sensing haste was the best option, she increased her pace until Ron was almost out of breath trying to keep up with her. She led him to the private elevator that would take him to Shego's room and pushed the down button.

"Unless you would prefer me to carry you down the private stairs, sir? I can get you there five seconds faster than the lift!" she offered as they waited patiently for it to arrival.

The image of being carried like a helpless maiden in Elsie's robotic arms flashed across his mind and he recoiled mentally.

"No thanks Elsie. I think I look ridiculous enough as it is" he replied, gazing down at the rainbow coloured sock that had mysteriously added itself to his sock collection.

" _Where did that thing come from?!"_ he wondered, the mystery momentarily overwhelming his anxiety to see Shego.

The lift arrived a few seconds later and Ron hastily stepped inside, jabbing his thumb over a scanner that read his thumbprint and took a swab of his DNA to confirm he was who his licence claimed he was. Thankfully, the scanner wasn't going to make him prove it like the people at the DMV and it cleared him for descent into the bowels of The Lair.

It took a minute for the elevator to reach the desired floor and the doors opened with a happy _ping_.

Stepping outside, Ron moved quickly toward the door that lead to Shego's private room and paused. Knocking gently, he waited for permission to enter, something that could end in green plasma blasts and tears (his) if Shego was startled and went into defensive mode.

A muffled 'come in' emerged from the door and he stepped inside the luxurious room. Gazing briefly at the familiar jade walls, his attention was turned to the crumpled figure on the king sized bed. Stripping his shoes off, he clambered onto the bed and slid down next to Shego, spooning her from behind. His arm slid round her waist until it rested on her well‑toned abdominal wall, offering comfort and solace through his touch alone.

Feeling the reassuring weight at her back, the warmth of his arm around her and the security of his presence, Shego let go of all the misery that had been weighing her down. Silent sobs wracked her body as she fought to keep control, but the words he whispered into her ear broke down all her walls, and sent her spiralling into a blubbering mess of tears.

"Let it out Shego, you've been strong long enough. Let yourself feel it. Don't hold back anymore" Ron said as he stroked the hair away from her eyes.

She turned suddenly and gripped his jacket, half pulling, half pushing herself into his arms. He pulled her tighter against his chest and continued to murmur soothing words into her ear. Telling her how brave and strong she was but even the most courageous needed to feel vulnerable sometimes, that she had to let her softer side take control for once and help her heal.

At the back of her mind she knew what he was talking about. After they lost Drakken, Kimmy and her family, Master Sensei and Yori during the second Lowardian attack, she had buried herself into her work, determined never to lose another friend or family member to those wretched aliens.

But she couldn't run from her grief forever Ron had kept pointing out. He'd been the smart one. Not resisting but instead choosing to work with, and then embrace the healing process in all its ups and downs.

"Does this pain ever stop?!" she cried into his jacket, salty drops running down the leather.

"It just takes time Shego. You won't ever stop feeling the loss, but it gets easier to bear with each passing month!" he said reassuringly, rubbing his hand up and down her back.

The rhythm of his hand soothed her and eventually she was able to wrestle herself back from the brink of exhaustive weeping.

"Stay with me?" she half asked, half begged as she gazed hopefully at him and blinked through her tears.

"Always and forever, boss lady!" he replied emphatically, settling her more comfortably against his chest and snagging a pillow to put behind his head.

Chuckling slightly at his nickname for her, she sighed heavily and allowed herself to go limp.

"Any chance of some music?" Ron asked softly, running his hand in circular motions on her back.

"Nnnngghhhh..." was the only reply as Shego tiredly lifted her hand and motioned it at the AI sensor hidden in the roof.

"What genre would you like Mr Stoppable?" a disembodied silky female voice asked politely.

"Something soothing please Akari, preferably with binaural sleep inducing tones and healing rhythms incorporated" Ron replied, ignoring Shego's half muffled comment about _"listening to that airy fairy bullshit"._

As the music began to play, Shego felt the tones start to penetrate deep into her subconscious, and her eyes drifted closed as she fell into a deep and restful sleep for the first time in a year.

Hearing her drift off, complete with a slight nasal snore of the feminine variety, Ron grinned to himself and hugged her closer, enjoying the feel of a woman cuddled against him. It was a luxury he hadn't allowed himself since his beloved Kim's passing. He didn't realise how much he missed the sensation.

After fifteen minutes or so, the song did its job and Ron joined his friend in a deep sleep, his own nasal sound effects mingling with hers.

Akari monitored her mistress and companion for any signs of waking and as they were lulled into the REM stage, she lowered the volume and released a mixture of White Chestnut and Lavender into the air to encourage healing sleep. Next, she released The Star of Bethlehem in the hope it would help her mistress find her way through the grief and loss.

She continued to monitor the room's occupants throughout the rest of the night. There was no need for concern though as her mistress slept on and on. And that was the best thing Akira's electronic eye had seen all year.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: This is a note, from the Author. Just in case you didn't know what an Author's Note is.

Thank you everyone who has reviewed the past two chapters. I did revise Chapter 2 as it was a mish-mash and I wondered if I threw in too much so it was good to confirm that with your feedback. I wish I had a beta reader for this chapter but couldn't work out how to find someone for KP stuff. So you'll have to suck it up through another bad attempt. But hey, it's kept me going at this even though I have no idea where it's going. Do you? Cos if you do, send me the script and I can stop trawling through this excuse I call a brain.

Bookfisher...I want that damn Norwegian Forest Cat! You've got me hooked now. As punishment, you have to sit through the below joke.

What did the cat say when he lost his toys? You got to be kitten me.

Black Hole, Black Soul

Chapter 3

The Lair doubled as an upmarket hotel with top rating restaurant and exclusive night club, and every single person that worked there was highly efficient and lethal. Wade had seen to that.

Taking Drakken's dysfunctional Bebes, he modified them and removed their previous flaws, his tech genius allowing them to reach their full potential as super-cyborgs known as Babes, equipped with a full range of human personality traits, including an unearthly obsession with the Oh Boyz (Wade's way of paying tribute to his friend). They filled in as staff during the non-combative business of running The Lair (aside from tossing the odd drunk billionaire or two out on their ear), and backup security for the team when they were called by GJ to deal with crises no one else could resolve.

The Lair also housed a secret in the shape of an underground GJ training centre and research lab.

Here, Shego trained agents to a level GJ could have never hoped to achieve, and there was a waiting list to receive training of a year plus. She only took ten agents at a time, and the training was so intense, so unrelenting that eight out of ten never made it past the first month, and only one ever made it to graduation.

Wade ran the lab for her, leading a team of top scientists and engineers who designed tech and weaponry to enhance the agent's already impressive skill-sets.

Ron completed the management team as Head Chef. Producing some of the finest cuisine the world had ever seen, they repeatedly received three Michelin Stars each year. Clientele from around the world would fly in to enjoy The Lair's hospitality and exclusive party sets that hosted DJ's so famous and so snobby that they wouldn't even hang out with themselves.

Overseeing all this was Akira, The Lair's central intelligence program. Designed to function independent of anyone or anything, she saw to the everyday business of coordinating The Lair and its many part's, keeping everything functioning smoothly so her mistress and friends could concentrate on saving the world.

While part of her intelligence continued monitoring her mistress, other parts worked in directing the Babes and keeping her guests out of mischief. This included returning a chimpanzee with alopecia back to his zoo, after a couple of the billionaire's kids thought it would be funny to dress him up and sneak him on stage as the next big hit DJ. Guru, as he was called by his keepers, had made such a splash that Akira was thinking of inviting him back next year for The Lair's twelve month anniversary party. He couldn't do any worse than the other strutting primates that claimed musical genius within the hotel's walls.

As the hours rolled by, Akira saw to it that no one disturbed Shego and Ron, keeping them insulated a little while longer against the myriads of emails and phone calls that constantly demanded their attention. It was part of the reason Ron refused to live onsite. He was tired of his work _literally_ following him home.

The final straw was when he came back to his room after a long shift, and found a gowned guest lounging on his bed with a can of whipped cream, maple syrup and chocolate dipped strawberries beside him. Ron's squawk of surprise could be heard all the way down the hall and a Babe had rushed into the room, sidearm drawn as she went into battle mode to protect her employer. Seeing Ron was unharmed, the Babe frogmarched the guest back to his suite and kept him there till Akira could ascertain what had happened.

Thankfully, the guest had had nothing untoward planned, just a mere request for Ron to repeat an amazing dessert and since he couldn't find Ron at dinner to make his request, he decided to wait for a more _convenient_ time. He was banned from visiting the establishment for twelve months and warned sternly about entering areas for staff only.

Despite Shego's protests, Ron was tired of his privacy being violated by rich folk who thought they were above the law of common sense, and rented out a small apartment within travelling distance of The Lair. Scared she would lose him too, she insisted Wade be allowed to set the place up with additional security measures. He only relented when she said she would drag him back to The Lair if she thought there was the slightest hint of danger, and that could be potentially embarrassing in front of his new neighbours.

Around ten-thirty the next morning, Akira's charges started the process of waking from their slumber. Heartbeats increased in intensity, and eyelids fluttered open and close a few times as the humans battled mentally whether to sleep just that little bit longer, or give in to the urgings of a full bladder.

Swearing under her breath, Shego unwound herself from Ron and launched herself across the bed in lightning speed into the bathroom.

Ron heard the toilet flush and his eyes flew open, his mind wide awake as he remembered where he was.

"Mind if I use it after you, Shego?" he asked politely, hoping the answer would be in the affirmative as the nearest bathroom was Wade's, and the security clearance to get into that suite would leave the President gasping in disbelief.

"Of course, it's vacant" the answer drifted through the door and he quickly wrestled free from the covers that tangled themselves around him in a linen-snake death grip.

He came to a full stop in the doorway and hesitated when he realised his employer wasn't actually leaving the bathroom. No, she was turning the shower on, and now she was testing the temperature and if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, she was undoing the sash on her robe and...

Ever the gentleman, Ron averted his eyes and spun round, mumbling an apology.

A throaty chuckle tickled his ears.

"Oh relax you goofball. It's just us!" Shego chuckled, slipping the robe from her body and stepping into the shower.

She pulled the bullet-proof door closed and the transparent glass darkened to an emerald hue.

Ron glanced out of the corner of his eye to check the coast was clear and blew out the breath he'd been holding. He knew Shego had no qualms about being seen naked. Her natural beauty and self-assuredness meant she could take on any situation with the grace of a sage tigress, clothed or otherwise.

It didn't stop him blushing like an innocent schoolgirl though, and he concentrated on relieving himself as quickly as possible as he fought to regain his composure. He zipped up and washed his hands, drying them on the green handtowel hanging off the railing before turning to leave.

He hesitated at the door, realising he didn't want to leave the cosiness of this moment. He remembered moments like this with Kim, and his heart ached at how familiar it felt. He would lean against the wall in between cooking breakfast while she showered, and they would discuss the day's schedule.

As the memory overtook him, he automatically leant back against the wall, a smile softening his face and a faraway look in his eyes.

A wet finger traced its way down the side of the face and he yanked his chin upwards, startled by the contact.

Shego stood before him wrapped in a towel, water rivulets making their way from her raven tresses and down her neck, onto the hint of emerald globes poking out from the top of the towel.

"I'm guessing that smile isn't for me" she teased gently.

Ron stared into her beautiful green eyes, and he shivered as a chill ran down his back. The thought of losing her hit him without warning and he pulled her towards him, crushing her into his embrace.

"Don't ever leave me Shego!" he demanded, squeezing her tighter.

An ordinary woman would have found it difficult to breath in such a grip, but not Shego. She slipped her arms around his waist and leant her head on his chest.

"Always...and forever!" she promised, repeating his own words back at him from the night before.

They stayed like that, holding and reassuring each other with their presence alone.

After a while, Shego noticed something was trying to come between them. Knowing how sensitive her friend was, she smothered the chuckles that threatened to come bubbling out of her mouth. Besides, it never hurt to know someone, or something, completely approved of her.

"Well this is a tad awk-weird!" Ron voice said, muffled against her hair. "I was going for _I really value you as a friend and person_ theme and now...welllll...geez...thanks Houston, way to ruin the moment!"

Shego couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing, grateful his strong hands stopped her slipping backwards onto the wet floor.

"Houston?" she managed to gasp out between guffaws.

"Kim joke. She used to say Houston, we have lift off and it kinda stuck" he replied, his eyes shining with mirth, despite his chargin.

Shego smirked at her friend, pleased to learn this snippet of information. She filed it away it in the potential blackmail file at the back of her mind. It never hurt to keep her boys in line when their actions could put their reputations, and lives, on the line. Sometimes she had to be exactly what he had nicknamed her – the Boss Lady.

"Kimmie had a naughty side" she snickered.

"Oh Kimmie had a _very_ naughty side" Ron replied, grinning knowingly.

"Do tell?!" she drawled, her coy expression encouraging him to go on, and don't spare the details thank you very much.

Smiling knowingly, he shook his head in the negative.

"Gentlemen don't kiss and tell, Missy" he replied, spinning her around suddenly and giving her a smack on the derriere.

"Get dressed, it's nearly eleven and I want to make you one of my new brunch ideas!" he said good-naturedly, directing her toward the bedroom and out of the bathroom.

"Are you going to have a shower?" she asked over her shoulder, as she started opening drawers and mentally cataloguing what she had in the way of clothing and what she actually felt like wearing.

"Mays well. Can you get Akira to send one of my uniforms up?" he asked, giving her his most charming smile.

"Sure" she replied as she grabbed a spare towel from her supply and turned to hand it to him, but he was already turning the shower on and preparing to strip off his clothes.

Shego paused, towel in hand and quite unabashedly watched Ron preparing for his shower. Years of combat training had left him in excellent shape, and the view was nothing short of traffic-stopping gorgeous.

He turned round to throw his clothes onto the floor and paused when he saw Shego standing behind him.

"Want me to scrub your back?" she asked coquitessily.

His astonished expression and hastily mumbled 'gah...I'mfinethankyou!" was rewarded with a cheeky smile as she tossed the towel to him.

He caught it automatically and she blew him a kiss before sashaying back to the bedroom.

Ron leant his forehead on the shower door and begged whatever higher powers were listening to help him through the day. He had a feeling Shego was in a very unusual mood, and he was apprehensive about what it might entail.

His instincts were right. Shego was in an unusual mood. But it was a good different. For the first in a long time she felt life was not just worth living, but worth celebrating. She had broken through a wall in her grief last night, and it was liberating.

"Akira, I'm taking the day off, and so is Ron. Please have one of the Babes run out and purchase some clothes and board‑shorts for him. And can you organise a hamper for us? I think a picnic by the lake is just what we both need."

"Would you like a bottle of the Sauternes included Miss Go?" Akira replied, acutely aware of every like and dislike her mistress possessed.

"Perfect! And a round of Ron's Damson Plum Clafoutis too please" she agreed, the picnic sounding more and more like a good idea. The Lair was so fancy, so modern and so high tech that simply roughing it occasionally was a nice change.

She started humming to herself as she finished selecting what she wanted to wear for the day, and slipped on a bikini that was functional but still flattering to her figure.

"We going somewhere?" a cheery voice asked from the bathroom.

Shego turned to see Ron wrapped only in a towel, his torso exposed as he rested one arm on the doorframe.

"How does a picnic by the lake sound?" she chimed, her eyes unsure whether they should concentrate on his face, or the other appetizing terrain on display.

Groaning inwardly, she told herself to behave. It was Ron after all, her best friend. She wasn't supposed to be having thoughts like that. Only nine hours earlier she had been bawling into his shoulder, tears and snot amalgamating into a big wet ball on his thankfully water-proof jacket.

"Sounds great. I'd better check with the boss first. She can get tetchy if I don't show up for work on time!" he replied, his eyes laughing at his lame joke.

"Hmmmm...sounds like a real bitch!" Shego drawled. "Why don't you come and work for me instead? We have a great dental plan!"

"She's actually pretty fab-tab-u-lous to work for. Some might even say she's a real _blast_!" he quipped.

Shego snorted despite herself and tried to hide her smile, but her quivering lips gave her away.

"I think you reached the bottom of the barrel with that one. Now, I heard the words _new_ and _brunch_ in the same sentence, and the tummy and I are fam-ooshed!" she said, rubbing her stomach for emphasis.

"Indeed you did mon ami. I'll fire up the kitchenette in just a jiffy, once I find out where I put my pants" he replied, returning to the bathroom and fossicking through last night's attire.

Putting yesterday's clothing on didn't bother Ron. He figured Shego had ordered some fresh apparel along with the picnic hamper, and knew he could tolerate a short stint in the not-so-fresh jocks. Living with Kim had brought his hygiene standard up from 'turn it inside out and it'll last another week' to 'twenty-four turn-around' fresh, but he was still a bloke and could handle his own _odeur_ better than his gender counterpart _._

He emerged from the bathroom in jeans and dumped the remainder of his clothes in Shego's wash basket.

"I'll get those later Shego, I don't want them cluttering up your floor" he said as he passed her on the way to the suite's kitchenette.

"Leave it. Akira, ask one of the Babes to have Ron's clothes washed and pressed while we're out. And please get housekeeping to tidy the suite" Shego instructed the AI, not in the mood to take care of it herself. Something she usually relished doing as it gave her a sense of normalcy. Nothing quite like scrubbing a toilet to keep you humble.

While Ron busied himself in the kitchenette, rummaging through her drawers and raiding her small pantry selection of rare and expensive items, Shego finished getting ready. She pulled out one of her larger beach bags and tossed in a tube of sunscreen, a couple of small towels and two water bottles from the bar fridge near her bed.

Pulling out a pair of her favourite Bvlgari sunglasses and a matching long-brimmed hat, she placed them next to the bag on the bed. Having nothing else to do but wait for Ron to feed her, she plonked herself on the sofa and turned the television on. Selecting an episode from the second season of West World, she lay back and was soon engrossed in the detailed storyline.

A delicious smell was shoved under her nose and her nostrils started flaring rapidly in appreciation.

"What is that?!" she demanded, sitting up quickly as the plate was withdrawn. "It smells like heaven on a plate!"

"Bacon and spinach stromboli with garlic truffle fries" was the reply from the departing plate.

Ron placed the plate on the dining table alongside it's twin and two mugs of coconut spiced hot chocolate.

As Shego approached the table, he pulled the chair back with a flourish and gestured for her to sit down. Once she was seated, he placed a linen napkin over her lap like a five-star restaurant maitre de.

Smiling her thanks, Shego picked up the knife and fork and started cutting open the Stromboli. Spearing a bite-sized piece with her fork, she placed it delicately in her mouth and started chewing.

A thousand waves of pleasure assaulted her mouth, and she closed her eyes as the sensations overtook her.

"Oh comets, I wish you would stop doing that to me. These food-gasms are getting embarrassing" she sighed, before eagerly taking another bite. The process repeated itself and she had to hold herself back from declaring undying loyalty to the young chef sitting across the table.

Ron winked and pointed his finger at her.

"The Ron-man knows what the ladies like, and the Ron-man _always_ delivers!" he teased, before trying his own breakfast.

Shego smirked as his eyes widened and he moaned in sheer ecstasy.

"Holy nacos, I think I've overdone it. I want to propose to myself!" he joked, clearly pleased with his effort.

A knock on the suite door interrupted their repertoire and signalled the arrival of Ron's picnic attire.

"Thanks Elsie, just leave it on the bed" Ron said when a Babe entered the room with a bag in her hand.

Elsie dropped the bag on the bed and departed as quickly as she had arrived, waving briefly to her employers as she exited the suite.

Ron and Shego finished their breakfast in companionable silence, and Shego cleared the plates while Ron changed into his new clothes.

"Ready?" Shego asked from the doorway, eager to set off.

"Absolutely!" he replied, tucking her arm in his and striding through the automatic doors.

Entering the lift, they made their way to the hangar and hopped into Shego's personal hover craft, where the picnic hamper already awaited.

The powerful engine kicked into life and they were cleared for takeoff by control crew at the Lair's private airport.

Shego wasted no time in getting them airborne and setting a course for their destination at the lake, her excitement causing her to set a speed that nearly broke the speed of light.

They landed on a grassy patch near the water's edge and Ron clambered out with the hamper in one hand, and the beach bag in the other. He set off eagerly to find the perfect picnic spot and set up.

Shego followed more leisurely, breathing in the fresh air and scent of the flowers surrounding the lake.

"Ron, don't go too far!" she called, noticing her companion had nearly disappeared from view.

"Yes mummy!" came the sarcastic reply.

Shego fired off a plasma shot and a satisfying shriek confirmed her target had been acquired.

"That nearly roasted my man-bits!" he shouted in protest, dumping the gear and rounding on her in outrage.

"Aw poor baby" she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at her friend's tantrum.

"Oh, it's on She-Hulk!" he roared, his hands glowing blue as his mystical monkey powers flared to life. He stepped into a defensive posture and waved his hand at her, daring her to attack.

Shego smiled coolly and ignited both hands with plasma, the green fire dancing around her fingers.

"Bring it, Smurfette!" she drawled, moving toward him at a dead run.

At the last minute, she leapt into the air and spun-kick at his head as she let out several volleys of plasma in sequence.

Blue and Green fire reigned down upon the earth as the two warriors met in fearsome combat.

Shego and Ron had agreed that gloating while you fought your enemy had been more of a Drakken kind of thing, and overall was generally a stupid tactic. So the only sounds they made were fist meeting fist and the occasional 'oomph' and 'no biting!' echoing across the lake for some time.

Well, at least until Shego got over the mummy comment...and Ron was sure his essentials weren't going to be dry roasted over a plasma fire.

 **It's pointless education time kiddies! Brought to you by the letters K & P and the Number #whocares. Sauternes** **is the King or Granddad of all sweet wines.** **Sauternes** **wines carry decades of history and prestige and are often expensive.** **Sauternes** **wines are produced in the Graves region within Bordeaux, made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes which have been affected by noble rot (not the common plebs rot apparently. No, it has to be the snobby rot. Ooh-la-la!)**


	4. Chapter 4

Black Hole, Black Soul

Chapter 4

Ron landed on his back with a loud thump. His arms fell alongside his head as the breath left his body with a whoosh.

A thigh pinned him down at the throat and he gasped as it dug deeper into his oesophagus as he attempted to move. He looked up at Shego and grimaced as the plasma flame on her hands increased in intensity.

Her expression neutral, Shego kept pressing down firmly on her opponent's throat as she contemplated how to finish her victory over the ultramarine man beneath her

Leaning down next to his face, mirth filled her eyes as whispered into his ear.

 _"You know_ , _in this light_ , _you_ ' _re kinda cute!" she drawled._

Ron swallowed and mentally started running through his last will and testament, as he was pretty sure he was about to die from embarrassment.

"I can't believe you remember that!" he mumbled as his face did its best imitation of a strawberry.

"Awwww...it blushes. How adorable!" Shego teased, before finally relenting and easing her leg pressure.

He glared at her, anger at being unable to control the embarrassing blush replacing his consternation.

"Can I get up now?!" he demanded.

"I dunno. I'm kinda enjoying this" Shego said, holding her thumb and finger to her face in the traditional thinking pose.

"Nobody puts Ron in a corner!" Ron declared, shaking his fist at the world.

Shego snorted and pushed herself off Ron, using his chest as a prop.

"Ok Patrick, enough of the cheesy lines. Let's get this picnic underway. You've helped me work up quite an appetite!" she declared, as she offered a hand to him.

He took it and with her help was on his feet in a fraction of a second, brushing the grass and leaves off the front of his outfit.

Shego stepped behind him and smoothed her hands along the back of his t-shirt, knocking bits of foliage off in the process. Her hands moved lower and Ron squeaked when she squeezed his glutes between her fingers.

"Not bad Ron, all those squats are really paying off. What's the plan? Snap forks between your butt cheeks?" she gibed, enjoying the feel of the well-defined behind in her grip.

"You know that's inappropriate behaviour right?!" Ron accused, fighting off another tell-tale blush.

"So was _accidentally_ landing face first on my chest. I know you deliberately fumbled that block when I went in for the knee strike!" Shego retorted, slapping him good-naturedly on the arse before heading to the picnic basket.

Ron grinned to himself as he watched his sexy employer pulling out containers as she rummaged through the basket. He wasn't sorry at all for letting her win, especially if it kept her happy mood going. He still owed her payback for teasing him in the bathroom earlier. But the impact of those soft ample globes against his face weren't going to leave his mind in a hurry, and he was pretty sure the memory was going to tease and tantalise him all day.

'Ron-Man 1, Boss Lady 2! _'_ he sighed ruefully as he moved his hand backwards through his sweaty locks.

He jogged over to the picnic spot and stripped his t-shirt and hi-tops off, dropping them next to the blanket.

"Going for a quick dip!" he explained as he whipped his last sock off.

Shego glanced up from the selection of food containers in front of her and jumped to her feet.

"I'll come with you" she declared, starting to pull off her jean shorts and mini tank-top ninja-style quick.

Expecting to see her usual black and green criss-cross one piece, Ron nearly tripped over his feet when her disrobing revealed a solid black bikini with a diamond and emerald crusted belt laced across the front of the bikini bottoms, a small expanse of green-tinted skin peek-a-booing between the canvas and the shiny gems. It was complemented by the black top whose shoulder straps were secured with metal rings at the apex of the chest material and secured behind her neck, diamonds and emeralds intertwining their way up both straps.

Shego used his momentary pause to beat him to the water, diving gracefully off the small pier before Ron managed to gather his eyeballs back into their sockets and race after her.

Whooping, he canon-balled off the pier and landed near enough to Shego that she copped a face-full of water from the splash when she surfaced for air.

Growling, she dove back under the water and made a beeline for the clueless young man.

Ron popped back up to the surface, his fringe dripping water into his eyes. He threw his head back and squirted water out of his mouth into an arc, before twirling gently in a circle as he sought out Shego.

He felt something yank at his shorts and he moved his arm to brush it away, thinking a fish might have decided to nibble at his pants. The yanking continued in strength and he gave an angry shout when his shorts were pulled down his legs and free of his body.

"SHEEGOOOO!" he bellowed in outrage and dove under the water, searching for the mischievous female.

He saw her swimming toward the other side of the lake with his board shorts in tow and set off in hot pursuit.

" _Dammit! She's faster than a dolphin!"_ Ron thought as he fought to catch-up.

Realising he wasn't going to get to her in time, he called on his monkey powers to increase the strength and agility in his muscles. As the blue glow surrounded him, he felt his body fire up and he let out a mental _BOOYAH!_ as his body took off with new found vitality.

He reached the shoreline and burst out onto the bank, searching eagerly for the pants-thief but couldn't immediately spot her. He turned around and saw she was still in the lake, smiling and waving the shorts in the air before she dove back under the water.

"Enough, give me my pants back!" he demanded to the departing female.

Infuriated, he almost plummeted back into the lake to chase her, but then realised he could use his powers to beat her back to the other side. Or so he hoped. They'd never gone toe to toe in a race before.

He raced around the bend of the lake, his legs churning and arms pumping furiously as he sent out a mental petition to the Universe to not let anyone see him in the Fearless Ferret underwear Elsie had picked out for him.

Shego emerged from the water and stood in the shallow end, one hand on her hip as she held his board shorts aloft and twirled it in lazy circles around her finger.

"Looking for these?" she teased, cocking her hip to the side.

Ron slowed for a second, before flinging himself forward and tackling her around the waist.

Shego fell backwards into the water, laughing hysterically as Ron landed on top of her.

They wrestled in the ankle-deep water, tossing H2O and sand in all directions as Ron sought to get his shorts back, and Shego remained equally determined that the opposite should happen.

After five minutes, Ron finally got his piece of apparel back.

Standing up, Ron pulled his shorts on and offered a hand to Shego, pulling her flush against him until he was satisfied she was firmly on her feet.

"Fearless ferret?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Don't comment!" he replied through gritted teeth.

' _Yeesh! One nostalgic comment to a Babe and I have to suffer for the rest of my life'_ Ron moaned inwardly.

"Didn't that come out when you were in diapers?" Shego jibed, refusing to let the matter drop.

"You were probably old enough to change them!" he shot back, trying to rattle her cool demeanour.

"True, but I had 13 years to do that didn't I?!" Shego retorted, her cheeks splitting with a nefarious grin.

"That's not...grrr!" Ron growled, his exasperation getting the better of him.

Deciding to teach her a lesson and shut her up in the process, he yanked her closer and smashed his lips down on top of hers, determined to kiss her into submission.

It worked, for a time. Ron knew he was fighting a losing battle when Shego's arms crept up his chest and her hands linked behind his head. She pulled him closer and used her body and lips to return the onslaught.

Shego wasn't just good at verbal lippiness; she was proficient in the non-verbal variety as well.

After giving Ron a sound tongue-lashing from the inside out, she unlinked her hands and rested them on his chest.

"Silly boy, did you really think you could beat me like that?" she purred in amusement.

Ron was breathing hard from the encounter, his head was ringing and he was pretty sure all his senses were screaming _YEEEHHHAAAA!_

He shook his head ruefully and grinned at her from under his fringe.

"Ron-Man 1, Boss Lady 4! _"_ he quipped, grinning when she laughed at his scorekeeping.

"Hungry?" he asked her, suddenly remembering the feast awaiting them on shore.

"Famished!" Shego replied, taking his hand as he led her out of the water.

They reached the picnic rug and Shego grabbed a towel to dry off the excess water.

Ron didn't bother, merely flopping down on one side of the rug and eagerly looking through the contents of the containers. He pulled out plates and started heaping large servings onto each.

Shego pulled out the wine and two glasses, popping the cork with ease and pouring the wine for both of them.

She handed him his glass and Ron swapped it for a plate of food. Settling onto the blanket, they made small talk as they ate their meal.

"What do you feel like doing now?" Shego asked, stifling a yawn politely behind her hand as Ron finished packing up the hamper.

"How about we burn our eyeballs out looking at the sky until we fall asleep in a nap that will leave me pink as a lobster, and you slightly greener?" Ron drawled, stretching onto his back and putting his arms behind his head.

He was momentarily startled when a weight landed against his side, and a leg and arm curled their way cross his body.

"Sounds perfect" Shego murmured in his ear, before tucking her head into his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"You're supposed to be burning your eyeballs out first!" Ron teased, shutting his own eyes as the languor of the day overtook him.

Shego merely gave a small smile before drifting off, Ron soon joining her.

The spring sun continued to shine upon the two companions, warming their bodies as the sounds of the lake and birdlife continued unabated around them.


	5. Chapter 5

Black Hole, Black Soul

Chapter 5

They were woken from the nap by Shego's phone ringing, the opening theme song from West World season one playing loudly from her bag.

Ron grumbled half-heartedly at the disturbance as she unfolded herself from him and pulled the bag closer.

Shego dug through her bag until she found her cell and pulled it out, hitting the answer button as she resettled herself against Ron.

"Akira, whatsup?" she mumbled into the receiver, yawning tiredly against Ron's chest.

"Apologies for the interruption, Miss Go" Akira's voice issued from the cell, a hint of urgency in her tone.

"Is fine...problem?" Shego asked, shifting more comfortably against Ron.

" _ **Code Blue**_!" Akira replied emphatically.

Shego sat bolt upright, disbelief written all over her face.

"Akira, confirm Code Blue. I repeat, confirm Code Blue!" Shego demanded of the AI.

"Code Blue detection confirmed by Lair satellite around Mars. GJ has authenticated the findings' Akira responded.

"Akira, initiate Code Blue security measures. Babes at full alert. Tell Wade and Dr Director to meet me in my office in one hour. Ron and I will be there shortly" Shego delivered her instructions in rapid fire succession, already working one-handed to pull on her shorts.

She tossed the phone into the bag and pulled her top on, nudging Ron to wake up.

"Picnic over?" he asked blearily as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Code Blue" Shego replied, tossing him his shirt.

"Are you serious?" he asked, incredulity etched itself across his face.

"Akira just confirmed" she replied, tugging at the blanket to get him to move so she could fold it up.

Ron rolled off the rug and started pulling on his shoes, while Shego made quick work of packing up the picnic and he helped load the hovercar.

Shego sent the vehicle hurtling toward home at top speed, Ron gripping his chair for dear life as she pushed the powerful engines into overdrive. They cleared the distance between the lake and the Lair in record breaking speed and Shego skilfully lowered the vehicle into the designated holding nook.

"Leave it!" she ordered Ron when he made to unpack the hovercraft.

Her tone was so _authoritative_ that Ron turned in surprise. He scrutinised his employer's face for a moment as he tried to read her.

"No time, the Babes will get it!" she explained as she started moving toward the hangar exit.

Reluctantly, Ron dropped the hamper and hopped down next to Shego. He had been hoping to finish off the remainder of the Damson Plum Clafoutis on the way back to the Lair, but the expressionon Shego's face wasn't going allow him to the time needed to fossick through the hamper.

Sighing, he obediently trotted in her wake as she led the way to the private lift and pushed the button to summon the elevator. The doors opened with their customary _ping_ and Shego stepped inside, moving to the side so Ron could stand side by side with her.

As the lift started to descend, Shego turned to Ron and smiled grimly, a hard expression in her eyes.

"Persistent bastards aren't they!" she remarked through gritted teeth.

Ron folded his arms and merely nodded, noting the tension radiating off his companion.

The lift arrived at the floor for Shego's private quarters and they were immediately met by an armed Babe.

"Did Wade and Dr Director get the message?" Shego asked the Babe tersely, leading the way to her room.

"Yes Miss Go, they have both been contacted and Akira has sent a private helicopter to pick up Dr Director and bring her to the Lair. Mr Load will join you at the scheduled time" the Babe known as Charlene replied, falling in step with her boss.

Ron trailed silently behind, content to let Shego direct matters till she had something specific she needed him to attend too. As they entered her room, Shego started issues orders to the Babe while Ron wandered into the kitchenette to find something for them to drink.

"Charlie, get your team and start the evacuation process. I want all guests and non-essential humans escorted out of here by nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Contact Henchco and hire extra security and transport for anyone that doesn't have their own, or is high profile. Cancel all bookings till further notice and refund everyone's deposits" Shego ordered, a frown creasing her beautiful features as she tried to think of anything she had missed.

"Akira has requested permission for additional security to be assigned to this wing Miss Go. She will send Aurora to replace me if you are happy for me to proceed with my orders?" Charlene asked, already sending out messages via Babe-link to her squadron of elite babes.

Shego considered the request briefly and nodded her agreement. Aurora was third in charge in the Babe hierarchy and a good choice for the security assignment. She had limitless patience, even for a Babe and was atypically quiet, only speaking when there was business to attend too. She wouldn't monitor and scan her mistress needlessly every five seconds for any sign of distress, or try and engage her in conversation about which of the Oh Boyz would she like to be stuck on a deserted island with.

Charlene confirmed her team were gathering in the Lobby and took her leave, cataloguing a list of guests that might require sterner measures to evict. The Lair was a world onto itself and some of the guests had tried to buy permanent residency in its luxurious apartments, but Shego refused to allow it. Despite all the safety features built into the complex, she didn't want any innocent civilians or bystanders put at any risk. The most she would allow was back to back bookings of up to a month at a time.

Ron emerged from the kitchenette with two whiskey glasses in his hands, a shot of Chivas Regal's The Icon in each glass, along with a couple of ball-shaped ice cubes. He handed one to Shego and she took it, knocking the golden liquid down in one smooth action.

Not having her advanced metabolic ability for alcohol, Ron sipped his slowly, letting the taste coat his tongue in fiery goodness, before trailing its way down his throat and into his belly, where it set up a steady and welcome burn.

Shego gave her glass back to him with a nod of thanks and ran her hand through her hair, her normal composure momentarily shaken as she paced the room. Ron placed the glasses on the table and watched his employer's restless movements.

"Sorry Ron, can't help it. We have to go official. Akira, cancel the lease on Agent Stoppable's apartment and have a moving company pack up his stuff and bring it to the Lair immediately. And get some uniforms delivered to my suite please" Shego rattled off, glancing apologetically at the male standing in front of her.

"Aw shit!" Ron muttered, his anger breaking through his naturally good-natured demeanour.

Shego walked toward him and pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back and patting his head like he was a distraught toddler. She was sorry that the threat forced such an abrupt life change on him, but deep down, in the secret places of her heart, a smug green bitch was laughing with glee. Finally, he would have to come home and be where she could keep a close eye on him.

Ron considered whether to start sobbing into her shoulder over the misery of losing his independence, AGAIN, but decided it wouldn't score him any points on the manly scale. He settled for muttering some more under his breath about the unfairness of the universe and enjoying the feel of Shego's ministrations as her body pressed against his.

When his muttering had finished and he seemed calmer, Shego pulled back and held him at arm's length. Seeing the pain still evident in his eyes, she smiled encouragingly and squeezed his biceps.

"I _will_ make this up to you" she said. And without thinking, she raised herself on tippy-toes and pressed her lips firmly against his. "I promise!" she murmured against his lips, the taste of the Chivas Regal still lingering on his lips.

Ron's eyes widened in surprise, stunned at the silky warmth of her lips against his. When she pulled away slightly, he subconsciously ran his tongue around his lips, searching eagerly for the taste of her in an effort to postpone the feeling.

He hadn't been kissed in a year, and the sensation of it happening twice in such a short span of time was setting his senses abuzz. Old alarms were going off and there was a strategic meeting underway between his two heads on how to prolong the electric tingling he was experiencing.

Without thinking, he pulled her closer and started kissing her, running his tongue along her lips as he sought more of the deliciousness from moments before.

Sighing, Shego reluctantly pulled her lips away from his. She took a deep breath and let it whoosh out between her lips.

"You want the shower?" she asked, nodding in the direction of the bathroom.

Disappointed at the lack of contact between their speaking apparatuses, Ron shook his head and indicated she should go first.

Shego walked to the door and paused, looking thoughtfully at him, chewing her bottom lip briefly.

"Do you want to join me?" she asked hesitantly, her natural boldness deserting her momentarily.

The alcohol and the invitation hit Ron's brain simultaneously and he lurched forward and grabbed the sides of the door to stop himself tumbling into her.

"Yesssh!" he managed to choke out, the word hissing between his teeth as it got stuck temporarily in his throat.

Shego's eyes widened at the eagerness of his response, and her heart started beating faster.

All clear thinking left the building and she moved on primal programming alone. Her hand shot out and grabbed his shirt, her fist bunching in the material as she got a firm grip.

Her eyes lit with a fierce need and she pulled him against her, their lips mashing together as the sudden forward momentum caused him to lose his balance, and he clung to the door frame as his feet sought to find purchase on the floor.

Shego kissed him voraciously, sucking the very oxygen out of his lungs and leaving his head spinning. His knuckles were white from the death grip of his purchase on the door frame, and he subconsciously begged her not to let go.

She twisted his shirt further around her fist and pulled hard, forcing him through the bathroom door, his fingers scrabbling at air as his hands were yanked from the door frame.

Shego pushed him bodily against the shower door and held him there with one hand, her spare hand igniting with plasma flame, burning hotter than a roomful of Bunsen burners at a high school science class.

"She..go?" Ron croaked questioningly, desire and fear warring in his eyes as his pupils dilated.

In answer, Shego lifted her hand and sliced downward, the flame cutting through the thin material of her shirt and shorts, the discarded items dropping to the floor unnoticed. She let the flame go out and reached behind her back, her eyes boring into Ron's as she dared him to look away.

Paralysed, he could only watch as she popped the catch on her bikini top. She angled her shoulder so the strap on the free side dropped down her arm and the top fell away from her chest.

Ron's eyes bulged and he jerked against her hand, his feet scrabbling against the slippery floor. Shego's free arm shot out and grabbed his shirt, forcing him to stillness as she held him ever firmer against the shower door.

Switching hands, she loosened the remaining strap and jiggled the bikini top down her arm, catching it in her hand. She placed it on the towel rack, her financial acumen ensuring she didn't damage any of the precious gems lodged in the bathing suit.

Her viridian-tinted orbs bounced gently as she moved her arm and Ron's eyes narrowed in on the action like a cat hunting a laser pointer.

"Now, it's your turn" Shego murmured, smirking at the fear in his eyes as the plasma ignited in her other hand.

Shego released Ron and raised her hand, slashing once, then twice and Ron's clothes fell away from his body in several pieces, joining the rest on the floor. Only his fearless ferret underwear survived to serve another day.

Faster than he could blink, she pushed herself against him and pulled his head down into a searing kiss. Her breasts pressed against his bare chest and the satin feel of her areolas rubbing against his skin sent him spiralling into overload.

Shego released his lips and smiled seductively as her hands moved toward his boxers. As her hands found the thickness of the waist band, she slipped her fingers between the material and his abdomen, and running her fingernails along his stomach. Grinning, she pulled gently at the waistband and let it twang back into place, chuckling huskily when he spasmsed against her. Her nipples peaked at the sudden friction and her lips parted with an unspoken invitation as she started inching the material of the boxers slowly down his hips..

Ron burbled something unintelligible in Hebrew, his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped against her.

Shego caught him and pulled him against her, shifting awkwardly to get a better purchase.

"Ron, you ok?" she asked, shaking him gently.

" _Oh shit!"_ Shego objected when she realised there was no response, and therefore no taking "old one-eye" to the optometrist.

An alarm sounded loudly throughout the suite and Akira's voice boomed over the internal speakers.

"Early detection satellites around Mars have picked up movement of a large fleet of Lowardian death-ships moving directly toward Earth. . ETA for Earth is five days and sixteen hours. Global Justice has confirmed."

Shego glanced up at the nearest speaker and down at Ron, realising the news was definitely going to delay the fun with her attractive friend.

Her verbal response to this news forced Akira to mute the audio in the suite for the next five minutes.


	6. Chapter 6

Black Hole, Black Soul

Chapter 6 REVISED Version

(Cos the other version was rushed and ended up sucking)

After Shego's temporary fit of Tourette's passed, she hoisted Ron securely against her and backpedalled out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She walked him over to the emperor sized bed (a super king size just wasn't large enough for her taste) and lowered him gently onto the mattress. She lifted his legs onto the bed, wrapped a sheet around him and made sure he wouldn't roll off.

Smiling at the unconscious blonde, she bent down and brushed the hair away from his forehead.

"You really are a tease, you know that!" she scolded him fondly.

Sighing, she turned and returned to the bathroom. She stepped inside the large shower, set the temperature to her liking and stripped off the remainder of her bikini, tossing it skilfully onto the towel railing.

The shower head sent cascading drops like a light rain above her head, while small pulses of liquid emitted from the walls of the shower and massaged the overused and often underappreciated musculature. Shego leant one arm against the shower wall and let the reassuring warmth run down the length of her body for five whole minutes.

As the weight of what they now faced loomed over her, she felt her body tense and her anger grow.

"Dammit Ron, I really could use your help relaxing right now!" she growled, curling her fist and smashing it against the shower wall.

She pulled her fist back for another round, but Akira's gentle chime interrupted and she stopped mid‑punch.

"Miss Go, uniforms will be arriving in fifteen minutes" Akira politely told her.

"Thank you Akira" Shego sighed, brushing wet strands of hair out of her vision as she reached toward the shampoo and conditioner dispenser.

A small amount of thick gel plopped into her palm and she worked it into her hair, massaging it into her scalp and through the entire length of each lock. Leaving it in for the requisite five minute wait, she put her hand in front of the soap dispenser and a lavender scented glob spiralled down into her hand. After soaping her entire body, she grabbed a loofah from a shower shelf and began scrubbing away the film from the lake water.

She rinsed the shampoo/conditioner combo out and cranked the shower spray for one last blast of hot water, before turning it off. Stepping onto the mat, she gingerly moved her bikini top aside and grabbed one of the extra fluffy towels off the heating rack. Wrapping the large towel around her body, she checked her features in the bathroom mirror, noticing the small dark circle under each eye.

"Shards, those blue-skinned bastards certainly have a thing for timing!" Shego commented as she pulled out her hairdryer.

"Exactly one year to the day Miss Go" Akira confirmed for her mistress.

Shego turned the hair dryer on and as the heat began to steam up the mirror, memories began to surface, crawling around the edges of her mind like rats scuttling amongst the shadows of a death cell.

 _"Ron! Get up, there's a second wave coming! RON!" Shego screamed, the vision in one eye clouding as dark red dripped down her face, courtesy of a two inch gash on her forehead._

 _One arm hung limply, her shoulder dislocated from hitting the ground after a huge blast hit their group, sending them flying in two different directions. The other arm dragged Drakken's body behind her as she stumbled toward the soporific blonde._

 _Shego landed heavily against Ron, using his body to steady herself. He ignored her, refusing to turn from the person he loved most in the entire world. Shego bumped him roughly with her shoulder, yelling at him to grab Kimmy and get moving, but nothing penetrated the bubble of denial that sealed off his mind._

 _Ron remained on his knees, his eyes blank as he started at the young female on the ground in front of him. Her hair pooled around her face in a red halo as she stared lifelessly at the sky, a look of surprise evident on her face._

 _He reached out a hand and gently brushed a few wisps of noncompliant hair out of her eyes as he began crooning to her, a wordless song of comfort for one beyond reach of the notes._

 _Debris from the energy cannon still rained down around them as Shego screamed desperately in his ear._

 _Ron felt his mind crack, ruptures appearing along the corners of his consciousness as he struggled to breathe. Darkness clawed at him, hacking at his very soul as his entire being came apart, piece by piece._

 _He broke, shattering into a million pieces as his mind dove into the darkness, seeking the sweetness of oblivion. His head slumped forward against his chest and he slid sideways to the ground as he fell unconscious._

 _"Ron, NO! I need you, please help me!" Shego howled, letting go of Drakken and shaking Ron violently with her uninjured arm. "Ron please, don't let them win! Help me! PLEASE!"_

 _As Shego's howls reached his ears, something deep in the recesses of Ron's mind stirred restlessly. As her cries of distress became more frantic, it's restlessness increased._

 _Eventually, it could bear it no longer and spoke._

 _Who is she? Why is she crying?_

 _The part that was Ron answered._

 _Her name is Shego. She is in pain. She needs my help._

 _You are in pain?_

 _Yes, excruciating pain. So much pain that I do not want to be me anymore._

 _But you are Ron. You must be you._

 _I am Pain. There is no Ron._

 _You must help her._

 _I cannot. There is too much pain._

 _But you must. If you do not, you will die. She will die. You will all die._

 _I cannot._

 _You must._

 _I cannot._

 _Cannot, or Will Not?_

 _Cannot. Pain. I am Pain._

 _Shego's sobs reached them and both beings shuddered at the agony evident in her voice._

 _Deciding that the person formerly known as Ron was currently unfit to control their shared body, the newly emerged consciousness took command._

 _Shego inhaled sharply when Ron's body suddenly jerked upright. Turning his head toward her, he gave her the Cheshire grin of a deranged lunatic._

 _"Hi. Ron is indisposed at the moment. But leave a message after the tone and we'll make sure he gets it. Beep! In the meantime, his lovely assistant will be happy to help with your call!" he said, smiling his eerie smile the entire time._

 _"Ron...are you ok?" Shego asked, watching him carefully as she spoke._

 _"Hi. Ron is indisposed at this moment. But leave a message after the tone and we'll make sure he gets it. Beep! In the meantime, his lovely assistant will be happy to assist you with your call!" Ron repeated, his smile hardening slightly._

 _"Ron, what's going on?" Shego repeated cautiously, assessing his eyes for trauma._

 _Ron repeated the message for the third time, his expression steely as his smile dropped._

 _"This is no time for games. What are you telling me... that you're not Ron?!" Shego demanded, anger surfacing inside her._

 _"Bingo!" Ron replied, clearly pleased she finally understood._

 _"Who ARE you?" Shego demanded, red hot anger boiling inside her._

 _"Zorpox!" the being that was not Ron replied._

 _Shego knelt back onto her haunches, her green skin turning lighter as the blood left her face._

 _"Oh Shit!" was all she was able to utter before Zorpox threw himself toward her and pushed her heavily to the ground, his hard muscled body pinning her down._

 _The blast from the second shelling left their ears ringing and a large hole appeared where they had been seconds before._

 _Zorpox pushed himself off Shego and turned to reclaim Kim's body, but it had been vaporised during the second attack, alongside Drakken. Ron's screams of rage drowned him and he wobbled dizzily on his feet. Banishing his body brother to the oblivion, he wrestled back control and pulled Shego to her feet. Picking her up in his arms, he ignored her yelp of pain and started moving toward a squad of Global Justice soldiers two hundred metres in the distance. Clutching her tighter for a better grip, he swerved over the terrain, dodging cannon fire and chunks of concrete kicked up by the shelling._

 _Zorpox approached the squad and the leader, recognising the body of Ron, ordered her soldiers to form a protective barrier around them. Seeing they were both injured, the squad commander ordered her soldiers to start dropping back toward the main force, where they would be able to administer medical aid._

 _"Don't worry Agent Stoppable, we'll have you out of here in a jiffy!" the squad leader reassured them as she led the way._

 _"I'm not Ron!" Zorpox replied cheerfully, smiling the same inane smile he had flashed at Shego._

 _"Sorry Sir. Can you clarify what you said?" she replied, thinking she had misheard him in all the noise._

 _"Call me Zorpox!"_

 _"Aww shit!"_

 _"Hey, that's what she said!" Zorpox said, indicating Shego._

 _"That's not all I'm going to say when this is over!" Shego promised, her eyes dark with promises._

 _Promises Zorpox was sure he wasn't eager to explore. EVER._

 **Author's Note:**

Thank you to everyone for being patient with this revision. Special thanks to Johnny, Bookfisher and the other regular reviewers for the kind encouragement, and to Luciendar who gave me fantastic feedback on where the old chapter 6 disappeared down the toilet.

It's taken so long because I lost my beloved 96 year old Grandmother in August and one month later, my surrogate Grandfather face planted it on the pavement at the hospital carpark due to his health conditions and killed himself. They were some of the kindest and most loving people who have influenced my life. And stubborn as old boots.

And to the 'guest' reviewer that keeps pointing out aspects of my stories that _don't_ match the full storyline these fanfictions are based on...poetic licence - 'the freedom to depart from the facts of a matter or from the conventional rules of language when speaking or writing in order to create an effect.'

Either review for the story's sake, or stop reviewing. You clearly struggle to use that thing called an imagination. Because of you, I've had to turn off that feature on my reviewing options. Now run home and actually get a account, or stick to reading. Commenting is not your forte.


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